The Greeks, living in a Mediterranean climate, value their siesta, especially during the long hot summers. In rural Crete, for the farmers and stockbreeders who make up a large part of the population, work in summer starts at sunrise and continues until the heat makes activity outdoors difficult, around 11.00 am to midday. There is then a long pause filled by drinking coffee, carrying out administrative tasks (shopping, going to the bank and post office, etc), and then lunch. This is followed by a siesta, until the heat of the day subsides and a few more hours of work can be done from 6.00 pm onwards.
Of course conditions are not the same for people who work in urban environments – in offices, shops and tourist establishments – and are able to conduct their business indoors, but the general pattern of life is similar, with many shops closing from 2.00 to 6.00 pm.
To preserve the sanctity of these rest periods the government imposes quiet hours during which noisy activities are banned, and which vary slightly between the seasons. There are two periods, covering siesta time and of course night-time, when those who have to rise at 6.00 am need their sleep.
Summer and winter quiet hours
This year the summer period will start as always on 1st April, shortly after the change to Summer Time. According to Police Regulation no. 3/1996:
– The summer quiet hours, which run from 1st April to 30th September, are from 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm and from 11:00 pm to 7:00 am.
– For the remaining six months of the year, from 1st October to 31st March, the hours are 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm and 10:00 pm to 7:30 am.
What is forbidden during quiet hours
During quiet hours there is an prohibition on all noise-making activities, unless they are for urgent work of communal benefit, which requires a special permit from the local Police Department.
The use of musical instruments, radios and TVs and other sound-producing media at high volume is forbidden. Also forbidden are loud shouting, noisy gatherings and dancing in houses or private venues, as well as similar activities in streets, squares and public transport.
Also prohibited are noisy games and loud conversations in kafenions or public gathering places, as well as disputes or noise from parked cars. Also subject to restriction are the loading and unloading of merchandise, the operation of noisy vehicles, and the use of sirens and other sound-producing devices unless justified by reason of emergency.
Enforcement of the quiet hours
It might be thought that the Cretans, with their taste for noisy celebrations, would have difficulty in observing these rules, but in the villages of Western Crete at least they seem to have some effect, since they reflect the majority’s pattern of behaviour. The streets tend to empty during siesta time, and cafés and restaurants generally do not stay open until late.
The exceptions are of course major events such as weddings and baptisms, carnivals and local festivals, where music always seems to be played at maximum volume, and dancing can go on into the small hours of the morning. Police enforcement of the rules seems rare, and probably only as a reaction to complaints, which few people are inclined to make. When there is a celebration in summer and the music is still playing at 4.00 am, the general reaction is to feel that people are entitled to have their fun and to resort to earplugs or an extra pillow to blot out the sound.
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